Year in Review: N-Listing

So, the tradition continues. 12 lists of 12 things. Some are ranked, others are not. One this year is not ranked but merely numerated.

Omo’s 12 girl seiyuu in 2012 list:

Hanazawa Kana – I think her best roles yet are all this year. It helps that she continues to be very prolific.

Yuuki Aoi – Possibly my favorite Aoi Yuki roles are all in this year. Still not a real fan of her voice but she holds a lot of potential.

Kayano Ai – Definitely the breakout year for her. Not too fond of her moe-chara voice, but somehow when she tunes it down in Chihayafuru it reminds me of LOL Ueda Kana.

Ogura Yui – Still U17, still very “Oh~.” I think she has a lot of opportunity now to expand her potential. Hopefully that means in a few years she will at least walk the path Aoi-chan walked.

Imai Asami – I’m going to say it’s a breakout year for this girl too, who has been around longer than a few others. Kurisu in Steins;Gate was simply excellent, and she’s slowly getting recognition beyond franchise pigeonholes.

Toyosaki Aki – Still solid coming from a solid year last year, more noitaminA roles, expanding her repertoire, solo album debut, all that good jazz.

Itou Kanae – Kanae still has a rock solid moe thing going, but she has begin to break out with characters like Ikamusume’s Kanae and her probably most dramatic role so far in Ohana.

Taketasu Ayana – She has turned into a really solid moe character voice. Looking for more diversity (even if it is in the form of that live action movie lol).

Hikasa Yoko – I thinks she sort of peaked at Moshidora, but like Toyosaki a year ago, she is right on the line from getting into the next tier…but not yet.

Kitamura Eri – Only if she would do more shows other than really kimoi otaku fare!

Kanetomo Hisako – Besides Ikamusume, I enjoyed her sophomore effort in Shinkai’s new film

Asakawa Yuu – for taking her show with Patrick Macias to a new level

I can probably add more or change the list, but I don’t think I will ever settle on just one without some help.

Makoto – Because Nekopuchi expresses so much love, I can’t help it but to follow suit. The anime didn’t just “give” me a Makoto that didn’t do much but act as a side character with a couple scenes with Yukiho. The anime gave me a “mistreatment” of one of the better characters in the group. I think that’s pretty epic, in a meta-sense, that I can think like this.

Miki – Since I’m really no better than 99% of the moefags out there. I think real life idols with Miki’s personality tend to do well, too!

Takane – She’s an enigma. Coming into the anime I know very little about her (I probably know more about her voice actress than her!) but I like what they pulled in the show. Now someone just need to make the Arcueid version of this.

Chihaya – I like her singing, and she reminds me of Imai’s better acts from Steins;Gate, lol. But otherwise she gets a lot of prop being Haruka’s sounding board, and vice versa.

Azusa – Her solo ep was hands-down best ep in the series. Otherwise she didn’t really do much but add random lines, unfortunately. I could probably swap her up and down between #5 through #11 (all these girls are not so different rank-wise to me), it just that she pushes a lot of my buttons. Also Chiaking is definitely one of the best at acting and singing among this group, so that makes Azusa one of the better characters by mere talent.

Yukiho – I liked her quiet-girl schtik at first, the show gave more than I asked for, and did a good job showing both her positive and negative sides. Overall my impression of her didn’t change much even after getting to know her more.

Kotori – Awesome set during that episode. You know which one. Otherwise she was just a pleasant thing in the backdrop and probably does not deserve #7 on this list.

Ritsuko – I have a meganekko button. She also dips in that OL category like Kotori. Her episode was actually kind of touching in that it reminds me of this person. Probably not the best match.

Yayoi – Actually liked her episode a lot. Cooking does that. But overall she appeals and presses buttons I don’t really have.

Haruka – She’s still the “lead” girl, I guess. I like the last arc when she was acting and telegraphing stuff. Didn’t like her before then, actually. Well, I guess I liked the way they framed her personality in episode 1. Also see: meganekko.

Mami & Ami – I combined them because they’re the same to me despite small differences. I didn’t like them but my impression of the two has improved. Their “live” segment was the biggest laugh I had in the show.

Hibiki – I like her positive attitude, and her animal friends are a plus, but that’s pretty much it. And her animal friends are more just her animal friends and not so much her LOL.

Denpa Onna OP/ED – Loved both pieces. 2012 continues to be a year where Yakushimaru can do no wrong I guess. The OP is IMO Shaft’s best since that polygon mess of Mariaholic 1.

Fate/Zero ED – For a still pan ED, it’s probably the best of the year simply out of its motifs.

Mawaru Penguindrum – I could point to a number of them, but the best IMO is the first ED with Coaltar of the Deepers. Also, lol, Yui Horie ver. The song for the first OP is also very cool, especially the one on the single.

Fractale OP – Holy smokes ENCODER TEST and that voice!

Guilty Crown OP – The lead-in is hilariously cool but it goes to show how a little lipsync go long, long way. Also, isn’t this done by the same guy who did Eden of the East OP animation?

AnoHana ED – There ought to be some kind of law against nostalgia tripping this hard. Thank goodness at least Tomato and Saorin can sing though.

Last Exile Fam ED – Something can be said of Range Murata stills panning to a track from Angel Feather Voice 2. Any track.

Nichijou – Both the two OPs are great with Hayadin going yard. The cover EDs are great too, and goes well with that…style of animation.

The idolM@ster – Actually, the second OP is great animation, although first OP has just that catchy lead-in about Ladies. I personally like CHANGE a little more, but only if they could combine them!

Related: Faylan’s Blood Teller from Mirai Nikki is a solid song, but that single cover both is racy and cracks me up. Also related: She’s no Elisa LOL.

Oratorio The World God Only Knows – A Whole New World God Only Knows (Did You Think God Only Knows? Apparently being redundant says that God Only Knows)

Hayadin – Hayadin no Kakakata Kataomoi-C

765PRO ALLSTARS – READY!!

Yakushimaru Etsuko – Ruru

Hitomi – Starboard (sub for Angel Voice mix version if you’d like)

Triple H – ROCK OVER JAPAN

Note the numbers denote track numbers. And if I was a real bro I would provide a download link, but since I am not I will provide just the next best sort-of-legal alternative. Also, I tried to work in something from Steins;Gate, but it just didn’t work out. Probably because I tried to also fit in a Lama track. Well, who cares, go make your own.

2011 was notable for the Great Disaster in Tohoku. I think it’s a good opportunity to recall the events that happened related to the disaster.

Funi (and others) works for charity. Imagine if you bid on that Saber-in-a-suit at Otakon and all of that moe money goes to charity? That’s like, the proverbial win and win.

And of course, this is only the tip of the iceburg. The stories my friend brings home from her three missions into the Tohoku region are both touching and convicting. The way the calamaties impacted the lives of people there is subtle but deep and it’s really hard to see unless you interact with them. Of course, there’s all kinds of tragic images you can see today, but I don’t know if that expresses the depth of despair as well. Anyway, helping the victims there is something we ought to be doing continuing into 2012, star power or not. Still, man, that is gross Aoi-chan!

I agree about reasons not really related to Azusa. As a character she is pretty plain. But she fits the role as the bride fits her dress, so to speak. I think it wouldn’t have worked with someone else…maybe Yayoi or Hibiki?